Meanwhile, Linka is thirsty but all of her water is gone from being punctured by the cactus. When Red Elk burns out, they are thrown into the caravan wagon. Hoggish Greedly and horse thieves drag Ma-Ti and Red Elk by ropes to their hands behind the caravan, forcing them to run or be dragged. The Planeteers think he is getting back to his roots. Linka has been scratched by a cactus and he treats it with yarrow plant and aloe Indian medicine. He finds horse hair in the bushes and hoof-prints nearby. He stops and changes into loose wear for the heat. Standing Bear explains that people can get government permits to capture the horse once they are on public land so maybe his people should get the economic benefit of selling. They all travel through the dark by horse. The rest of the Planeteers find Standing Bear who tells them Ma-Ti and Red Elk have not returned and about his argument with Red Elk. Meanwhile, the rest of the Planeteers are in the Geo-Cruiser on their way to visit Ma-Ti. Ma-Ti and Red Elk are tied up in a caravan. That night, Hoggish Greedly and his band of thieves have stopped on sacred Indian burial ground to eat. However, Hoggish Greedly's plan to catch them while on Indian land and take them back to public land. Red Elk counters that the horses are protected once on Indian land. He says he has a contract to get the horses. The leader of the horse thieves is revealed to be Hoggish Greedly and Rigger. However, the horses are soon chased by a posse of horse thieves! They are trapped by engineered cage doors set up in the canyon. He lassoes the horse and names it Sun Fire. He spots the golden stallion from his visions. That evening, Red Elk hears rumbling and finds the wild horses roaming in a canyon. Out in the scorching desert, Red Elk and Ma Ti find shade under a rock. He leaves angrily and takes Ma-Ti with him. Red Elk expresses his disapproval at the choice to sell them to be slaughtered for glue and pet food manufacture and accuses his brother of selling out. Standing Bear explains that the overpopulation of wild horses is creating pressure of their water resources for other animals. Red Elk believes the horses are a part of their heritage. He tells his brother that he will sell the tribes' rights to the horses when he becomes chief. Ma-Ti remarks on his Americanized attire where Standing Bear remarks that times are changing.
The next day, they reach town and collect water for the journey when Red Elk's brother Standing Bear returns. The fire extinguishes and Red Elk tells Ma-Ti about his vision. He sees the face of an Indian chief in the flames, who tells him he has done well and allows him to envision a golden stallion which will be a powerful ally. That night, Red Elk performs a ritual at a bonfire calling on his ancestors for guidance. A rock gives out under Ma-Ti's foot and he falls - to be caught by Red Elk who tells him to be careful. He explains that his brother is to become the next Indian chief of their tribe. Red Elk explains that his brother, Standing Bear, had university final exams at the time of his quest but should be back soon. He hopes he is up to the challenge and Ma-Ti reassures his friend.Īt dawn, Ma-Ti and Red Elk are climbing a cliff-side when Ma-Ti asks why his brother could not join him on the quest. He wants Ma-Ti to accompany him, in place of his brother, to sacred Indian land called Lone Rock, to be guided by his ancestors' spirts to a wild horse that he must tame. Linka explains that he is facing his vision quest that Kwame says has many difficult tests.īack in the desert, Ma-Ti arrives while Red Elk is feasting after his fast in the desert. Gi explains that Ma-Ti is visiting his friend Red Elk at the Indian Reservation in Arizona. Kwame teases by saying he hoped they would see big tarantulas when they pick up Ma-Ti from his trip - making Wheeler less than eager to go. Linka catches the spider and teases him for it. Meanwhile on Hope Island, Wheeler panics because a spider is crawling on his back. In the Arizona desert, Red Elk, a native Indian friend of Ma-Ti's, has a vision of horses from the ancient spirits. When Ma-Ti visits his native American friend, Red Elk, who is on his vision quest to find a golden wild mustang (Equus ferus caballus) stallion, they also find trouble when horse thieves, lead by Hoggish Greedly, are after the horses for profit. The main characters featured in this episode are: